KC Chiefs’ Defensive Line Still Depends on Chris Jones

Kansas City likely needs its All-Pro defensive tackle to play at a consistently elite level in order to win a championship.

The Kansas City Chiefs' interior defensive line setup revolves mostly around All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones. To begin the 2023 campaign, though, the biggest part of that equation was missing.

Jones held out during the offseason and into the start of the regular season, not making his debut until Week 2. Quickly making an impact and getting back in the swing of things thereafter, he appeared to be well on his way to replicating his 2022 effort and hitting many of his contract incentives in the process. Since then, however, things have tapered off a bit and the Chiefs' defensive tackle picture hasn't been quite as sparkling.

Undoubtedly still playing good football, Jones remains someone who needs to be accounted for on the interior. With that said, he hasn't been the same player he was a season ago and the team's depth at defensive/nose tackle is a bit iffy. Should any of that be concerning coming out of the bye week? 

Joshua Brisco and Jordan Foote start an Arrowhead Report discussion to assess where Kansas City is at with the position as the season passes its midpoint.

Biggest success

Foote: Jones is hands-down the best interior defender the Chiefs have, but Derrick Nnadi's mini-resurgence should be considered a notable success. The veteran nose tackle had his worst season in 2022 and while his Pro Football Focus grade remains low, context and the eye test indicate that he's playing much better. Logging 14% more snaps on average than last year, Nnadi has four more 'stops' already this season than he did all of last season. He's making a bigger impact in the middle of Kansas City's defensive line in 2023, justifying the club's decision to bring him back for another campaign. 

Brisco: The Jones and Co. plan is working. With Nnadi's resurgence, Tershawn Wharton's return, and Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna's ability to kick to the interior in pass-rushing scenarios, the ensemble approach is bringing plenty of firepower to capitalize on the attention opposing offenses show to Jones. Meanwhile, it's worth noting that Jones has held up his end of the bargain, demanding a high percentage of double-teams while still winning at an impressive rate.

Biggest shortcoming

Foote: The Chiefs' poor asset management at defensive tackle is an underrated series of missteps this year. After selecting rookie Keondre Coburn in the sixth round of April's NFL Draft, Kansas City sent a future sixth-rounder to the Las Vegas Raiders for Neil Farrell. Coburn is no longer on the team and Farrell is usually a healthy scratch on game days. Matt Dickerson, whom the Chiefs opted to keep on the team and continue playing over both of them, has seen the field for a single-digit number of snaps in three of the club's last four games. The odds of hitting on late-round picks are always low but considering the franchise is now running thin on draft capital, effectively punting on those picks may come back to bite the Chiefs.

Brisco: Pairing with that concern, the Chiefs do not have a long-term structure at defensive tackle. Farrell is the only defensive tackle under contract for the 2024 season, and he's not playing. Without agreeing to a long-term deal with Jones, the Chiefs will have a massive hole at DT after this season. Wharton and Nnadi could be brought back on additional one-year deals, but the Chiefs will still need to find a higher-level player to build around in the interior.

Biggest question(s) remaining this season

Foote: Will the real Jones please stand up? The All-Pro's season started with a bang when he got 1.5 sacks against the Jacksonville Jaguars but over time, he's been less and less effective on defense. He hasn't recorded a sack since Week 6 and committed an ugly penalty last Sunday in Germany. The Chiefs need Jones at his best down the stretch if they want to win another championship, and he has every incentive — literally and figuratively — to elevate to consistently elite play. He won't be worth Aaron Donald money or anything resembling it if he can't get back to his 2022 self. 

Brisco: I'm a long-standing card-carrying member of the Jones Club, but I think you're on to something there. We've seen Jones wreck games down the stretch and he started his 2023 campaign in impressive fashion, but what will Jones accomplish in December and January? I wouldn't count out a DPOY-caliber back quarter of the season, but Jones plays such an outsized role in the defense that his trajectory will dictate where the defensive line goes from here.

Could the Chiefs’ Reliance on Travis Kelce Come Back to Bite Them?